


and we'll die in this menagerie

by constanted



Category: Lost
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 17:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7516456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constanted/pseuds/constanted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oceanic High School's students are forced to work together, or else they're gonna fail alone.</p><p>(or: drabbles from the lost high school au i'll never fully write)</p>
            </blockquote>





	and we'll die in this menagerie

**Author's Note:**

> aaand here it is. i hope y'all are happy.  
> fic title from exit clov's district menagerie.
> 
> most drabbles are cross-posted on tumblr.

Kate’s not exactly Claire’s dream lab partner, okay? She's her brother’s (mostly amicable?) ex who she’s only heard about in rumors and seen in the corner of the parties Sun drags her to, always quiet, always somewhere she shouldn’t be, not really a model student, and considering this is Chem, Claire needs someone to rely on. Kate is confusing, Kate is restless, Kate is a textbook Gemini, which claire would remember even if she didn’t remember Jack making Kate cupcakes and burning them last June.

“Can you write out the draft for the conclusion tonight?” says Kate, offhand, at the end of a particularly boring class. she doesn’t talk much, so this surprises claire, "Track meet.”  
“I’m going,” says Claire, “I’m friends with Jin Kwon and Des. Because theater and Sun. Opposite respectively. We can meet up after? We can,” and Claire hesitates, because she doesn’t want Jack and Kate interacting, Jack is hard to interact with even as a family member, Claire can't imagine being his ex, holy hell, “Uh, we can grab coffee afterwards, there’s free wi-fi at the place where Elizabeth Smith the Junior who was in the hospital for like three months last year works–”  
“Uh,” says Kate, pursing her lips in a way that makes Claire want to sketch her right then and there like some kind of asshole artist in a romantic period piece, “Sure. She was only in the hospital for two months. Ana Cortez told me that she just stayed at home for a month afterwards.”

And they do. Kate gets a small ice water, which Claire didn't even know was a thing, and Claire gets herself a milkshake type thing that she’s never tried before. It’s way too sweet, but she bears it, because she could use the sugar.

“Are you still dating the uh. Alabama boy? Long blond hair with the Eminem t-shirt that he wore for a whole week once? Sorry, uh, I always forget his name and the Eminem shirt is hilarious, Charlie never shuts up about it– Sawyer?”  
“You mean James?” says Kate, laughing a little, "As if Charlie can judge."  
“Yeah, uh, James.”  
“No, we’re taking a break. It’s cool, we're still friends. Kinda. Whatever. You draw that in class today?” she says, gesturing to some doodles Claire has on her arms.  
“Yeah, I really, as in, desperately, wanna be a tattoo artist after I graduate– people don’t take it seriously, how messed up is that? It’s an art! I'm planning so many tats for myself, too-- I know you're not interested, I'll, erm, I'll shut up now, but if you ever-- don't doubt the power of tattoos. I have one on my back but please don't tell my dad or my brother."  
“I’m not doubting you,” says Kate, and smiles, which doesn’t often happen around cCaire. she has a really– enchanting, that’s a fairytale word, though– smile, Claire loves the contrast, the softness in her laugh with all the passion in her eyes. She wonders, but then stops herself from wondering. She's just jealous of Kate's everything.  
“Good,” Claire shakes her head firmly, half-joking.

They don’t even get a paragraph of the paper done, they get wrapped up in conversation. Kate doesn’t talk much about herself, but seems really interested in Claire and everything about her.

And Claire loves it, Claire lets herself love it.

They scrape by with C’s on the paper, they keep meeting up afterwards. It’s nice, Claire thinks. It’s nice.

**Author's Note:**

> talk to me on tumblr @oceanicairline or on twitter @nervousbees


End file.
